those with a history of torture and/or other traumatic events prior to arrival in Australia; AND

those who are experiencing psychological or psychosocial difficulties believed to be associated with their experience of torture and traumatic events; AND

those who consentto receive our services

The person must be living in Queensland.

The person can be a child or young person aged 5 to 24 years or an adult. They may have lived in Australia for any length of time, from a few days to many years.

We cannot provide services for people whose main presenting issue is drug and alcohol or domestic violence related. We will direct clients with these issues to other appropriate services and work with other services to provide joint services for refugees and asylum seekers with drug and alcohol or domestic violence issues.

avoiding situations that remind you of past experiences, feeling isolated and mistrustful of others, unable to concentrate, constantly thinking repetitive thoughts, often feeling nervous and irritable for no reason, feeling distant from people once close to you and withdrawing from friends and social activities.

In Brisbane, counselling is usually offered at our offices at Woolloongabba or Logan. QPASTT staff offer outreach counselling services to adults at the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Gatton, Inala and Goodna. Location details for our other regional offices are available here.

Our child and youth counsellors may also see children and young people at school or in the community.

Counselling sessions are available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. There may be a waiting period for counselling, depending on demand but an initial intake appointment will be made as soon as possible.

Before referring someone to QPASTT, it is important that you talk to them about our service and confirm that they agree to being contacted by QPASTT. This helps us to build trust with the person and gives them respectful choice in the process of being referred. The more of the following information you provide, the easier it is to request a service and to make a referral.

name

gender

date of birth

marital status

number of children, their age and sex

address

phone number

when you/he or she arrived in Australia

visa category

nationality

preferred languages

country of birth

If you are requesting a counselling service then it will also be helpful to know:

reason for referral, including the background to the current problem

any other organisations you/the person is involved with.

Remember to complete the Parental Consent section of the referral form, if you are referring a child (under 18 years of age).

It is essential that anyone you refer to QPASTT first consents to the referral. If necessary, ensure you use a professional interpreter to seek consent.

If you are concerned about your client’s psychological wellbeing and you think this might be connected to past trauma you could ask the following questions to determine if a referral to QPASTT is appropriate – the questions only require a yes/no answer:

I am aware that before coming to Australia you may have experienced some terrible events. You don’t have to tell me about this but I feel there might be something upsetting you about the past. Is it OK if I ask you a few questions?

Do you have bad dreams or keep remembering things that happened in the past (as if a past experience is happening), or thoughts about them when you do not want to?

Do you try hard not to think about the past or go out of your way to avoid situations that remind you of this?

Do you constantly worry that something bad might happen, or are you easily frightened by noises (eg. phone, door bell, etc.)?

Do you feel uninterested in other people, places, or activities?

Are any of the above impacting on your current everyday life? If so, it can be helpful to talk to a person trained and experienced in working with such situations. Would you like to talk about this with someone at QPASTT?

Provide information to the client about QPASTT as a service which can assist people with the problems / difficulties which people face when arriving in a new country. Some of those difficulties are the result of previous experiences. For example, you could say:

“QPASTT is a service which has worked with people who have come to Australia who have been in a similar situation to you. They offer assistance for individuals and families. They can provide assistance for (choose the most suitable for the client’s situation of the following):

Feelings of nervousness

Feelings of sadness

Difficulties with sleeping

Coping with everyday problems

Trouble with learning or remembering, or thinking too much

Not feeling like you want to be around other people

Not feeling that there is any future

Family difficulties or conflicts in families and/or

Children and/or young people finding it difficult to settle into a new country or school (or getting to used to all the changes they face)

You may be concerned about a child or young person if they show signs of trauma such as being withdrawn, sad, anxious or aggressive, have difficulty concentrating or making friends. Younger children may act out in their play bad experiences they have had and become very distressed when they are separated from their parents.

To refer a child or young person (under 18 years of age), you will need to complete the Referral Form and ensure you have completed the section about consent from a parent/guardian. You may need to arrange an interpreter if required, to assist you to ensure that parents/guardians are fully informed and consent to the referral.

The eight agencies in the FASSTT network offer direct services to survivors of torture and trauma, their families and communities. These include psychological assessments, individual psycho-therapeutic interventions, group and family therapy, youth activities, natural therapies and community development.